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January 30, 2018

26 ways to success - R for Relate to a cause - article published in The Hans India on 4th June 2016

Relate To A Cause!

What
do a tree hugger, a bird watcher, a big industrialist, a dancer, a painter, a
cartoonist and a movie maker have in common? Passion and the cause they
espoused. So much so they made the cause their life mission. They became the
cause.

What
is a cause? It is an issue or an event or a happening that is relevant and is
of social importance. All the issues discussed in this article are socially
relevant. Most of us are driven by materialistic pursuits. The drive to excel in
materialism can be a self-feeding parasite. One goal reached and another one
beckons. Before we realize we are all part of the never ending rat race. This
leads to fatigue, loss of interest and a feeling of déjà vu. We are left with a feeling of hollowness and
question ourselves, what is life meant to be?

Maslow
rightly calls this point where we question ourselves as a point of self-actualization.
We have been brought into this world with a purpose. Find out that purpose and our stint in this
world could be worthwhile.

Even
corporates have climbed onto the bandwagon of causes. Called Cause marketing
many companies openly advocate and promote causes that are socially relevant. Some
of the famous ones include Aircel propagating the conservation of tigers in
India and NDTV advocating the green India campaign and the “Every school in
India should have a black board”. Given below are some famous Indians who have
devoted their lives for a cause.

1. The Tree hugger: Sunderlal Bahuguna is a noted environmentalist and the
Chipko movement leader. The idea of chipko movement was of his wife and
Sunderlal Bahuguna popularized it. For years he has been fighting for the
preservation of Himalayan forests. He and his followers hug huge trees and do
not allow anyone to cut them. How true is this cause! We are already facing the
ill effects of deforestation. Cities are becoming difficult to live, the ground
water table is falling alarmingly, summers are becoming unbearably hot and we
are lashed with unseasonal rains. All signs that causes like the chipko movement
are not simply fashionable. They are the crying need of the hour.

2. His painters are
our deities:Raja Ravi Varmawas a celebrated Indian painter and
artist. He is considered as the greatest painter in Indian art. In
particular, his depictions of Hindu deities and episodes from the epics
and Puranas have received acceptance from the public and are found as
objects of worship across the length and breadth of India. Our visual imagery
of gods and goddesses are all from Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings.

3.
Small Car – Big dreams: Ratan Tata,
the Ex CEO of TATA motors was travelling in his car and driving next to him was
an Indian family (husband, wife and two kids) precariously perched on a
scooter. The sight troubled Ratan Tata. He was pained to note that even after
50 years of Independence a car was out of bounds for an average Indian family.

And
that was the cause that Ratan Tata championed and made his life mission. He declared
to the dumbfounded word media that he would make the cheapest car in the world.
A car that would cost Rs 1,00,000/-. No one including his own employees initially
believed him!

But
Ratan Tata did the impossible. He coaxed, cajoled and motivated his team to
work around the problem. The selling price was fixed and his team worked
backwards to make Ratan Tata’s dream come true. And it was done! The Tata Nano
was born and the world woke up to the startling reality of a car that was to be
sold at US 2,000/- dollars. And that price Nano was even cheaper than what the
Czar of cheap production China could produce!

Yes
Tata Nano did not do as well as expected but is a prime example of what can be achieved
with steely determination, daringness to dream and making something a cause to dedicate
one’s life. Ratan Tata says that his most memorable day was the day when Tata
Nano was launched.

4. The Kuchipudi Kalabandhu:Vempati Chinna Satyam was an Indian dancer and a
guru of the Kuchipudi dance form. As he mastered the nuances of this style
of dance, he was successful in popularizing the Kuchipudi dance form all over
the world. The craze and the fame that Kuchipudi enjoys today can be attributed
to Vempati Chinna Satyam who dedicated his life in making this ancient dance
form become popular again.

5. Salim Ali – The Fall of a
Sparrow:
Salim Ali was an Indian
ornithologist and a nature lover. Popularly
called the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was
among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and
several bird books that he wrote helped popularize the concept of
bird watching. He created the Bharatpur bird sanctuary and prevented the
destruction of what is now the Silent valley national park.

6. The Indian Walt Disney:Anant Pai popularly known as Uncle Pai was an
Indian educationalist and a pioneer in Indian comics. He is most famous as the
creator of two comic book series the Amar Chitra Katha which retold traditional
Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical
characters; and Tinkle a children’s story book. Amar Chitra Katha, the
series went on to become a publishing milestone for the Indian comic book industry,
selling over 86 million copies of about 440 titles. Most Indians
awareness and knowledge of the Indian history, mythology and epics has been
through the colourful pages of the Amar Chitra Katha. And the saga continues
albeit in the digital front as Amar Chitra Katha is more popular in the digital
form. Anant Pai single handedly made generations of Indians feel love and pride
for their own history and epics.

7. They also serve those who stand and
stare:Murlidhar Devidas Amte,
popularly known as Baba Amtewas
an Indian social worker and activist known particularly for his work for the
rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy.Amte followed Gandhian philosophy and led a Spartan life.Amte
also used Gandhian principles to fight against corruption, mismanagement, and
poor shortsighted planning in the government.

8. The talkies man: Dhundiraj Govind Phalke popularly
known as Dadasaheb Phalke was an Indian producer/director/screenwriter,
also known as the father of Indian Cinema. Starting with his debut film
Raja Harishchandra in 1913, which was the India's first full-length feature, he
made 95 movies and 26 short films in his career.

The Dadasaheb Phalke award for lifetime contribution to Indian
cinema was instituted in his honour. It is the most prestigious award in Indian
cinema and is the highest official recognition for film personalities.

Why
should we relate to causes?

1.There
are things that no one seems to care for: the zodipi Goats from Nellore, the
beautiful rock formations of Hyderabad, the famous Ongole bulls have no one
championing their cause. They are the
envy of the world but no one seems to care. Time for some of us champion their
cause and see that they are preserved and kept live in pristine condition for
many generations to come.

2.Listen
to the inner yearning: It
isimportant to listen to the inner
self.What is our calling is not known. Salim Ali the birdman of India developed interest in birds when he shot
down a sparrow. Examination of the dead
sparrow inculcated a life time interest in bird watching, wildlife and
conservation of nature. Once we discover our inner yearning, no force in this
world can stop us. Happy is the man who devotes his life to a cause that he
dear to him!

3.There
is a lot to live and die for apart from materialistic comforts and
satisfaction:
Man does not live only for his bread! There are many other things that are more
important. Saving a 300 year tree from wanton destruction not only saves a noble
tree’s life but also goes a long way in making this planet more hospitable. No
trees and in very near future no man kind!

4.Helps
a person reach level of self-actualization: Relating to a cause gives great mental
satisfaction. Even though Ratan Tata was stupendously rich and had everything
in the world, the launch of his pet project ‘the world cheapest car’ Tata Nano,
gave his more satisfaction than all his wealth put together. His dream got
fructified!

5.The success of the cause will have a
Tsunami effect:
Once a cause becomes famous and gets into the eyes of the media, there could be
a snowball effect. More people would get interested and the cause could get the
critical mass to sustain itself. The renewed popularity of the temple dance of
Kuchipudi is a great example.

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Dr.M. Anil Ramesh is an M.B.A, PhD from Osmania University, (overall 7th rank, 1st In Marketing stream), Hyderabad, India.
Presently Dr.M.Anil Ramesh is working as Director at Siva Sivani Institute of Management a Premier B-School based at Secunderabad, Telangana State.
Dr.M.Anil Ramesh has 30 years of experience both in Industry and in Academics. Widely read and traveled Dr.M.Anil Ramesh is a Management expert who appeared on many TV talks and shows. Dr.M.Anil Ramesh also writes a popular column in a popular English Daily Newspaper - HANS India.
The views expressed by the author in this blog are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the institute where he works.
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